These Moments
by Dancerslife
Summary: There are moments that are never forgotten. There are moments that stick with us. These are the moments that we live for.
1. Chapter 1

There was something that mesmerized Gibbs when it came to Jenny and children. When they were in Pars, she had met a boy who Jenny came to know. He was an orphan whose parents had died in a car accident. When they saw him on the street Jenny who stop and talk to him, making sure he was alright. If he didn't have a coat on, Jenny would give him hers and later on in the day she'd find it near they're apartment. They'd find him most of the time at a small park where he was playing with other children. He would show them the places that he had learned to call home, which broke Jenny's heart. All Gibbs could do was take her hand in his and squeeze it when she needed comfort.

They never spoke about him. It was just some child they had come across. A child they both wished they could help. After leaving Paris, Jenny had her contacts there find him and check up on him. To her dismay she learned that he had passed away due to malnutrition and hypothermia. She sat in her small apartment thinking about the little boy, and wondered whether or not Gibbs knew. She wanted both not to care if he did, but there was something about him that made her think that he would care.

When she came clean with Gibbs about the real reasons she left him in Paris, she also informed him about the little boy. Now she lay on their couch sound asleep with their sleeping child on her chest. Their breathing was in sync with each other, making them noticeably comfortable. Whenever he slept, she slept. There wasn't a moment that Jenny wanted to miss with her son.

The light knock came at the front door and Gibbs quickly made his way to find Abby behind it. She smiled at him and noticed the quietness of the house. "They're in there." He said pointing to the room. Abby nodded and quietly entered Jenny's study that was turned into a sitting room. She smiled at the sight and felt Gibbs hand on her shoulder.

"They're so cute." She whispered. He nodded and kept his eyes on his wife and son. "What's his name?"

"Jackson Alexander." He said quietly. The baby slowly woke up, causing his mother to do the same. Instinctually, Jenny's arm wrapped tighter around him. Her eyes flickered from her son to her husband and Abby who were standing in the door way. Gibbs completely missed the conversation between Abby and Jenny, when Abby had asked to hold the baby.

Jenny walked over to Gibbs who wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her closer to him. "How'd you sleep?" He whispered into her ear. He kissed her cheek before she could reply.

"Good." She replied quietly. Jenny glanced at her son in Abby's arms and smiled before glancing at a photo on her desk. It was of a little blonde boy who was on a swing. Gibbs followed her gaze and hugged her.

"Where'd you come up with the name Gibbs?" Abby asked as the little boy slowly dozed off to sleep.

Gibbs released his wife and slipped his hand into hers and gave it a squeeze. "He's named after a friend." Gibbs said quietly. He looked down at Jenny who had the same pained look in her eyes as she did in Paris. Jackson Alexander had been named after a little boy who passed away years before. Jenny was lucky enough to get a picture of Jackson Alexander. He was on a swing, smiling a smile that Jethro and Jenny had fallen in love with.


	2. Small and Perfect

_Being surrounded by a room full of people in formal dress was never something that made Gibbs happy. When he had gotten married to his wives, he insisted that they had a small and personal ceremony. He had a big church wedding with Shannon, and even then he wasn't a big fan. When he married the woman who happened to be across the room talking to a Senator, he would have been fine with a big church wedding with people he didn't know. Knowing him as well as she did, they had gone to City Hall and got married there. Small and Perfect. Gibbs watched his wife, who was dressed in a floor length forest green gown, interact with the various politicians. She laughed at something they had said, causing her eyes to lighten. It was a moment that was small and perfect._

_"Agent Gibbs," A voice behind him announced. Gibbs turned partially to see an officer standing now at his side. "You look good this evening." _

_"Thank you sir," Gibbs replied, looking at the officer, but still could see his wife out of the corner of his eyes. _

_"How's your son?" He asked. "He's grown since the last time I saw him."_

_"He's good sir. And yes sir, he has." The lights dimmed and the guests all made it back to their seats. Still facing the Officer before him, Gibbs reached his arm out to his wife. _

_"Director," The officer said with a nod. _

_"Officer Chambers." She replied with a smile. The officer left the couple as they made their way to the table. "Where is Jackson, Jethro?" _

_"He's around." Gibbs said non chalantly. He looked at his wife who didn't look to please. "He's being taken care of Jen. He's in good hands." Jenny nodded and tightened her grip on his hand. She was nervous. Nervous about where her son was. A man stood at the podium in the middle of the room, thanking everyone for coming. Gibbs cell phone began to buzz, causing Jenny to look at him suspiciously. _

_"Jethro," She whispered with annoyance. He put a finger to her lips and answered the phone. _

_"Yeah Gibbs," He whispered. He looked to the entrance and saw DiNozzo standing at the door with his cell phone to his ear. Gibbs nodded and both men hung up their phones. Jenny leaned over into her husbands side._

_"Case?" Gibbs took her hand and squeezed it. He shook his head. "Good." _

_The room went dim again and the doors to the room opened. A troop of Marines made their way in, all in sync with each other. The commands were silent, their movements all subtle and perfect. It was a dance they had come to learn. The Marines stopped with their backs turned toward their audience. With a faint tap of the foot, the Marines moved in two separate directions, revealing a lone Marine in the middle of the room with a microphone. _

_"Ladies and Gentleman. A year and a half ago, one of our brothers was informed with the news that rocked us all. A year and a half ago our hearts broke with the news that one of our mothers was sick. Five months ago we recieved the news that our mother was going to live and be in good health. The illness lost it's battle with the overpowering of our thoughts and prayers." As the young man made his speech, he made his way over to Jenny, who had tears in her eyes. He offered her his hand, eyeing Gibbs who gave the man a simple nod. Jenny took his hand and was on her feet, being led into the middle of the room. "Tonight is her night. Today is the day that I fell in love with her twenty three years ago. She is my hero, she is my best friend. But best of all she's my mother." The room broke out in an applause. Jackson embraced his mother in a hug, one which she just melted into. Jenny laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her son still had her hand in a tight embrace. "I love you, Mom." He whispered into her ear. She kissed his cheek, still speechless. _

_Music then filled the air, quieting the applause. As the song began, Jenny looked up into her son's green eyes and smiled. "Tonight is your night and you look wonderful." He told her. He gently began to sway with her on the floor as the music played. "Someday when I'm awfully low, I will feel a glow, just thinking of you, and the way you look tonight," Jackson sang along. _

The sound of rain hitting the window woke Jenny up from her sleep. Groaning, Jenny rolled over only to be introduced with another pillow. She rolled back over to realize she was alone. The door to her bedroom was open, and the light to the hallway illuminated the pathway. She quickly got up and made her way into the room next door. An instant smile broke across her face at the sight of her husband bent over the crib.

"Hey," She whispered as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Hey. I didn't wake you up did I?" He asked quietly.

"No the rain did. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, just crying a little. I was awake and decided to deal with it." Gibbs noticed Jenny looking at her son. Her eyes were full of happiness and love. "Hey what's up?"

"I have a feeling he's going to be a Marine like his dad." She admitted. He looked at her with question in his eyes. "It's my gut talking." She smiled. He nodded and kissed her cheek. There are moments that are small and perfect. These are the moments that live with us forever.


	3. Nine Years

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. If I did, Jenny wouldn't be dead. Vance wouldn't be Director. The only thing I do own, are the ideas and the kids. Enjoy. And thank you to those who review. There are also two quotes in here, one is from the movie Cutting Edge and the other is from My Best Friends Wedding. **

There was the feeling, the feeling of regret, the moment Jenny woke up that morning. It was dark and dreary outside. The sky looked as if it were angry and was getting ready to flood the world below it. It wasn't going to be a good day. That much was clear. She had woken up a lone with a note next to her head.

_Got a case. Jack is asleep. Call you later._

She turned over and saw that it read 4:45. It was too early for a case, and yet Jethro wasn't there. She got out of bed, pulled on a sweater that was on the floor and a pair of sweat pants, that didn't belong to her. She quietly made her way into her son's room to find him asleep in his own comfort confined by a yellow blanket. She smiled and made her way back out into the hallway.

She made her way into the kitchen and saw the half full coffee pot. It was still warm, meaning he had just left. She turned and saw the calendar, the date seeming to be jumping at her. That was when her breath started to slow. It was the day. The day she screwed up. It was the day she laid her life on the line and chose.

_The morning was shining. It seemed to be happy despite the cold. Jenny sat on her back porch watching the world come to life. She was curled up in her chair, in a pair of sweatpants and an over sized t-shirt, with a cup of coffee to warm her hands. _

_"Senora, Agent Gibbs is here." Noemi said quickly, before Gibbs came into view. He hurried past Noemi and stood in front of Jenny. Jenny looked to Noemi and gave her a simple nod before raising an eyebrow at Gibbs._

_"Something I can help you with Agent Gibbs?" She said, sounding more authoritative than necessary. _

_"Yeah you can explain," He said dropping a letter on her table besides her chair. She looked at the envelope and immediately recognized it. Her neat handwriting spelled out Jethro on the front. She looked up at him, expression less._

_"It's today." She said stating a fact that they both knew. He didn't say anything, just continued to watch her. "What do you want me to say Jethro?"_

_"I want you to explain. You've tried to tell me and I didn't believe it. I've spent nine years coming up with explanations and nothing seems to work." He said sounding angry and in pain. _

_"I had to. We weren't just partners any more Jethro. We were more and it scared me. I was offered my own team, and I had to take it."_

_"You could have told me about your father Jen. Whenever we talked about family Jen, you could have said something."_

_"So could have you Jethro." She said. "You could have mentioned Shannon and Kelly."_

_"You wouldn't have understood." He told her, watching her get to her feet. "I was still in pain from it all. I was still grieving."_

_"So was I Jethro." She practically screamed. "I hated leaving you. I hated the fact that I had fallen so in love with you and I had to choose. It was you or my father. I had no choice Jethro. I knew what I was getting into at the beginning. I knew I had to prove myself not only to you but to Tom. I had to move up. Falling in love with you was never a part of the plan. I spent six years regretting every day, but I tried to tell myself that I was doing the right thing."_

_"What happened when you came back? When you told me there would be no off the job. You pushed me away farther so that way you could get your heels into the agency and nearly kill yourself in the process. Letting the La Grenouille case nearly kill you."_

_"I was fine Jethro."_

_"No you weren't Jen." He said stepping closer to her. "You weren't. You drank in the middle of the day. Not one glass, not two. Maybe three or four. You sat in darkness watching pictures replay themselves over and over again. The obsession nearly killed you and I couldn't do a damn thing about it, because there was no off the job." He said quoting her. She shifted and moved out of his way. _

_"You knew how far I was willing to go with La Grenouille Jethro." She said. "I wanted him dead." _

_"And you got your wish." He told her. "And who was going to save the Queen when she had finally fallen? Who was going to catch her if she didn't let anyone in?" He watched her turn away from him, with her arms crossed. "We were never big talkers Jen. We never shared our feelings with each other. But every single time I told you that I loved you, whether it was in the heat of the moment, or out of the blue, I meant it every single time. "_

_"What do you want Jethro?" She asked, her voice a whisper. " Do you want me to tell you that every guy I dated, I couldn't help but compare them to you? It became habit. When they didn't make me laugh or comfort me because they knew they had to, I thought of you. I tried to force myself to fall out of love with you, tried to convince myself that you hated me, but it never worked. I spent six years trying and when you told me you missed me, my world fell apart." She was trying to hold back tears, and it was noticeable. _

_He turned her around and cupped her face in his hands, her lips centimeters away from his. "I knew you needed to be in my life when I had nightmares. You were always there when I needed you the most. I was scared to replace Shannon. But you weren't a replacement. When I'd wake up in a sweat you were there and you never left my side. You're voice was gentle and you'd lull me back to sleep, as if you had been doing it your whole life. I tried to replace Shannon with Diane. I tried to replace you with Stephanie. You turned my life upside down and I love you for it."_

_"What?" She choked out. _

_"I love you Jen." He said slowly. "I was in love with you nine years ago, I was in love with you three years ago and I'm in love with you now. I know I don't sound like myself right now, being here with you, I feel at home and I feel like me." Jenny opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped by a finger to her lips. "Don't say we won't work. Don't say were not right for each other. The way I see it, we're not right for anyone else. We're both stubborn and we both have a temper. We can go on trying and we can pretend that we don't want this."_

_"Can I have a say in this?" she asked. He nodded and removed his finger. "I love you. I've loved you for nine years, I've just been too arrogant and scared to realize it, and... well, now I'm just scared. I don't want to be treated like another ex wife, who you couldn't open up to. I don't want to be shut out of your life and be ignored until you're forced to talk. I can't deal with that." She said without her voice breaking. Tears slowly fell down her cheeks, which were wiped away. He kissed her cheek and began to walk away, leaving Jenny on her back porch. _

_She looked down to the floor, only to be surprised seconds later, by a pair of lips roughly against hers. The feeling of being weak before, unable to stand in his arms, returned. The rest of the day was a blur. The blur was like one of a hangover. This hangover was pleasant and memorable. A hangover she could smile about later. _

Jenny sat in her study many hours after seeing the date on the calendar and thinking about the past. She hadn't heard from or seen Jethro. The years after their rekindling fight, they hadn't spoken about it. They didn't need to. For them, it had become another day, so why was today any different? She knew he had a case that hadn't been finished, and she knew that he'd be racking his brains trying to figure a way to bring their suspect in. The times she had overlooked the bullpen, he was never there.

She was so deep into her thoughts, she hadn't heard the front door open and close. She didn't ever realize Jethro was watching her. "Jen?"

Her trance was immediately broken at the sound of his voice. She looked up at him and smiled. It was sad, but a smile none the less. "Hey,"

He took a seat in front of her and pulled his legs onto his lap. He massaged her feet as he talked. "I'm sorry I was avoiding you today."

"He apologizes?" Jenny asked mockingly with a little smile.

"Yeah he apologizes," He said squeezing her foot. "I've been thinking a lot about today actually. I know we talked about it and I know we don't talk about it anymore. But I keep thinking I'll wake up and find you gone."

"I'm not leaving you Jethro." She said leaning back in her chair. "I'm not making that mistake again. You'd think after 4 years you'd get that."

"Yeah, but I found something in your drawer that I wish you'd tell me about." Her head shot forward, and found his blue eyes. "Name?"

"Christina Marie." Jethro nodded and let her feet drop to the floor before getting up and pulling her up with him. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and then her lips. It was sweet and full of love.

It was just another day for them. Another day filled with memories and silence. It was a day that brought them happiness and sadness all at the same time. It wasn't simple for them to talk, it never was and it never would be. But it was something they could deal with and they did.


	4. The Lake House

**Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS. If I did, Jenny would be alive, Vance would be in San Diego, and the team wouldn't have been broken up. **

**This is a bit of a depressing chapter. My best friend passed away almost a year ago, and yeah this is for him. For the upcoming chapter, if anyone wants to Beta, it would be geatly appreciated, since I think my writting sucks. Anyway Enjoy. **

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Friends are needed at all sorts of times. Friends should be there for the times when a shoulder is needed to cry on or a person to vent to. Then there are the friends who know that something is wrong without asking and knows what to do to help.

Jenny stared outside the window in her office, looking over the Navy Yard. Her head was pounding with a headache, and it wasn't something a couple of Tylenol and a glass of water could fix either. "Director, there is someone here to see you."

"Let them in Cynthia." She said turn herself around. She massaged her temples and looked up at the door, watching a familiar face coming in.

"Good Evening Director," The visitor said with a smile. Jenny got to her feet and made her way around the desk to greet this man. She placed a kiss to his cheek, and took a step backwards.

"Mr. Thomson, it's been a while." He nodded and took a seat opposite her seat. Jenny slowly took a seat behind her desk, watching this man.

"I hear congratulations are in order. A few actually." He said with a smile. "I saw you and your family on the news a couple weeks ago."

Jenny sighed and her small smile fell. "I looked horrible that day."

"You looked like a worry wife, who didn't want her children to worry." He told her. "You're very persistent with the press and your kids."

"Jethro doesn't like the press. I had gotten used to them. But with the kids, I have to keep them away and I have to keep Jethro from going after them."

"He doesn't like too many people does he Jen?" The man asked. She forced a smile.

"He picks who he likes John, it depends on what his gut is telling him." She told him. "He doesn't like you, because of our past."

Jenny watched this man across from her. He looked smug, which reminded her of Jethro. John, or Jonathan Thomson, was a lot like Gibbs. He had a set look and didn't break it, unless necessary. Unlike Jethro, he slept on a schedule and he didn't drink coffee. Besides Jethro, John knew her well or so he thought.

_Jenny watched the small lake house come into view. It was surrounded by a forest and off a lake farther behind it. It had been her escape after her mother died, and her escape when her father died. She spent most of her summers there getting to know the people around in the town, which were a few blocks away. _

_ Jethro pulled onto the dirt road and watched Jenny's face light up. She was going to her Lake House, a house that she mentioned once when they were in Paris. Their safe house had reminded her of this place, he didn't know why until that moment. It was large and white. It had beautiful columns, making it look like a castle. It was a beautiful house, and he could see why she wanted him to be seeing it. _

_ Jenny had wanted to come for a while, but the news of Jenny being pregnant, the visit seemed more appropriate. Jenny had explained to Jethro that these people were the only sense of family that she had after her mother died, and they were there with her after Paris, but when she became NCIS Director, Jethro and his team had became her family. Now it was Jethro and their baby. _

_ Jenny had seen a woman in a vintage dress coming out onto the porch, wearing a big red sun hat matching the red of her dress. The car barely came to a stop, before Jenny got out of the car, running up to the woman. Jethro parked the car, and got out watching Jenny and this woman._

_ "Christina, this is Jethro." She said as he came up to her side. "Jethro, this is Christina." _

_ Christina had a smile across her face. "So this is the Marine you'd always been talking about." Jenny smiled and blushed. Gibbs just nodded and placed a hand on the small of Jenny's back. "I know more about you Jethro, than I know about my own husband." Jenny laughed lightly. "I don't mind since I don't like my husband." _

_ Jenny had intertwined her arm with Christina's and her hand was in Jethro's. The look of happiness and joy was easily noticed. Christina led them into the backyard, where there was a group of people talking amongst themselves. At the sight of the people Jenny loosened her grip of Jethro's hand and went to greet the people. _

_ "You know about any of these yahoos Jethro?" She asked, not moving from her spot._

_ "Jen told me about John," Christina nodded in the direction of a man who was standing with his hands in his pocket. "They had a past,"_

_ "Yeah they did and a not very pleasant one." She said eyeing Jenny, who was kissing John on the cheek. "She fell in love with him and when her mom passed away she turned to him. A couple months later they were having an argument about something. He got mad and pushed her down the stairs. She lost her baby." He watched Jenny as she smiled and talked to the people, filling them in on any news. _

_ "Would explain it." Christina raised an eyebrow. "We were in Paris and met a little boy. I had asked her if she wanted any. She said no." _

_ "She didn't tell you about her miscarriage?" Gibbs shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets, smiling at Jenny as she pointed to him. "Don't feel left out. She wouldn't have even told me, but I went with her. She made me swear not to tell anyone."_

_ "She trusts you." He said. "She doesn't trust a lot of people." _

_ "I was there for her." Christina said smiling. "When her mom died we talked for hours. The same when her dad passed away. When she got the job at NCIS she'd call me every day telling me about her boss who was a Marine. He buy her coffee be all sweet and then yell at her for being incompetent. She called me once in Paris telling me how she fell in love with someone. It wasn't until six years later, that she filled me in on what happened afterwards." She said nudging Gibbs. "When she became the Marine's boss, she had the same tone of happiness she did when she called me from Paris. This Marine was the love of her life. I can see why." She said smiling. Jenny had been talking about Jethro, signaling for him to come over, which he did gladly. _

_ Jenny pulled Gibbs away from the crowd, taking his hand in hers, getting him to walk around the garden with her. "You seemed to be having a good time with Christina." _

_ "She was just filling me in on some things." He said. "People I should look out for." Jenny nodded. "I guess I need to watch out for stairs, huh." Jenny stopped, with Gibbs hands still in hers, her eyes were beginning to water. "She thought I knew." He said. He wiped the tear that fell onto her cheek. He placed a kiss to her forehead. _

_ "She wanted to kill him." Jenny said, continuing her walk. "I was in bed for nearly two weeks. I didn't want to what to do. I never saw her angry. She'd get mad but never angry. I thought she was going to kill him when he came to see me. I don't know what I'd do without her." She said. Gibbs smiled. He took his hand out of her grip and wrapped it around her shoulders pulling her into his side. _

_ The rest of the weekends went by with ease. Jenny spent most of the weekend with Jethro and Christina, not too far from her reach. Jenny had informed the people that she was pregnant which everyone was happy about yet worried all the same. When they were leaving Christina had pulled Jenny away, not of out Gibbs eye sight, but enough to be alone. Jethro was being told by a woman he had gotten to know as Aunt Margret, how great it was that Jenny found someone, but Gibbs attention was on Jenny and Christina. By their closeness Gibbs could tell Christina was whispering to her. He saw the tears being whipped away, and her being pulled into a hug. They made their way back over to the car. Jenny went to Gibbs and wrapped her arms around his waist. He kissed the top of her head, and then kissed her temple. "Hey," _

_ "I'm going to miss her." She said quietly. "I don't know what I'm going to do without her." Gibbs gently rubbed her back, knowing Christina was watching them. He looked up at her and watched her mouth 'Cancer'. He nodded his head and hugged Jenny. "It'll be okay. Come on, let's get you home." _

_He got Jenny into the car and made his way over to the driver's side. He turned to find Christina still watching. He smiled and mouthed, 'Thank you.' She nodded and made her way into the house. _

An hour after John's departure from her office, Jenny had made her way home. She left her purse and briefcase in the entry way. She quickly made her way up into her children's bedroom. She first saw her five year old son sound asleep. She then turned to the crib, and saw her daughter who was asleep also. She traced her finger along her baby's cheek, watching her stir at the touch. "She would have loved you," Jenny whispered.

"Yeah she would." Gibbs said coming into the room. He wrapped an arm around Jenny's waist pulling her into his side.

"I can't believe it's been a year." She told him. He nodded and kissed her cheek. "I miss her."

"I know," He said leaning his cheek on her head, not taking his eyes off of his sleeping daughter. "I know."

Jenny watched her daughter stir, and her eyes flicker open. Before she could cry, Jenny lifted her. She soothingly whispered to her, attempting to lull her back to sleep. "The uh, picture you found in my drawer, I sent it to Chris."

"I know." He said. She turned around and looked at him with a bit of question in her eyes. "She called me and thanked me for the picture." She nodded her head and continued to rock the baby. Jethro didn't allow Jenny to stay in bed for weeks. He didn't allow her to drown herself in alcohol. He was under strict orders not to allow her to watch a photo slide show in the dark. When Jenny wouldn't open up to Jethro, Christina would call him; fill him in on things the she thought he should know. In a way, Christina trained Jethro how to be Jenny's rock. They both knew her well. Christina had five years of happiness. She met Jackson and was named god mother, and there was no other person they'd wish to have.

"We were the talk of the press for a couple weeks." Jenny said placing the baby back in her crib.

"It's what happens when you're the Director." He said taking Jenny in his arms, with her back to his chest.

"I just wanted to visit," She said quietly. "Show Christina why she's so important."

"You have all the time in the world." He said, before kissing her cheek. "Come on Jen. You need some sleep."

His arms dropped, taking Jenny's hand in his. She took one more glance at her children before leaving the room with Gibbs. She changed out of her work clothes and into a large NCIS t-shirt and grey sweats that didn't belong to her.

That night, she fell asleep from crying. She fell asleep in a pair of arms that was her protection. She didn't cry because she was in mourning. She fell asleep because she had begun to accept the fact that her best friend was gone. Jenny had fallen asleep with the image of Christina, her and Jethro smiling. This was what she wanted to remember. Not the sick. The woman with a smile.


	5. Sunrises, Sunsets, and Dates

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. **

**Happy Birthday Lauren Holly. :) And if anyone has any suggestions as to what I should write about, please leave it in a review or message me. I am slowly running out of ideas. I have a bunch of chapters and I don't like any of them. :( And if anyone is willing to beta, let me know. **

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Jenny stared out at the ocean before her, taking in the beauty of the sunset. The red, orange, and yellow made the sky look as if it were on fire. She was wrapped in a blanket, with her two year old daughter curled up in her lap. Jenny kissed her daughter's hair, wrapping them tighter as the warm winds blew.

Sunsets and sunrises had become something Jenny fell in love with. There was something about them that mesmerized her. Perhaps it was the peacefulness or the slowness in which the rose and fell. Watching a sunset or a sunrise gave her time to think. It gave her time to reminisce over the past or think about the future.

_She was standing on her balcony, watching the glimmer of light against the other buildings, as the sun rose. She looked over her shoulder and into her bedroom, watching Jethro sleep. She glanced down at her left hand and smiled at the ring. Its band was simple as was the diamond. From a distance, it didn't look like much. Just a simple ring Jenny may have bought for herself shopping. But up close, it was a beautiful diamond ring. She looked back onto the street and saw it was nearly fully illuminated. She watched kids run down the alley below, laughing at each other. One stopped mid way and looked up at Jenny. He waved and she waved back with a smile. She watched him take off again, after his friends down the street. _

_The warm arms that encircled her from behind surprised her for a moment. The soft kiss that was planted on her temple soothed her. She leaned into his embrace and placed her arms over his. She leaned her head against his shoulder and was finally comfortable. She fell in love with this almost instantly. She loved that she could feel safe and loved in his arms and in his presence. _

_"Hey," He said quietly. "You okay?" She nodded and tightened her grip around his arms. _

_"Yeah. I just saw Jackson running down the alley." She smiled. "And I was thinking about yesterday." _

_"It'll happen when we get back to the states. It'll be just you, me, and a couple of witnesses." He smiled, kissing her temple again. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him in his blue eyes. _

_"That sounds perfect," She said with a smile. He leaned down and brought his lips to hers, kissing her gently. He pulled her into their bedroom and brought her into his lap. "I think we should actually get out of the house today." She told him. _

_"You could always tell Ducky you're sick," He said kissing her cheek, trailing his fingers up her thigh. She stopped his hand and took it in hers. _

_"I told him that yesterday Jethro, and I'm not quite entirely sure he bought it. " _

_"What gives you that idea?" _

_"I don't know maybe the fact that you were lying in bed with me, with no shirt," She said standing up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought her closer. "Not that I was complaining." She said with a smile. He laughed lightly and nodded his head. _

_"He knows about us Jen," Jethro said matter –of- factly. "I don't think me being in bed with you, with no shirt, is on his top three things to worry about list." _

_"Alright Jethro," She said closing the doors to their balcony. She leaned against it, with her arms behind her, still on the doorknobs. He stood up from his position on the bed and walked over to Jenny. He cupped her face, and stared into her eyes. She suddenly felt weak, her legs barely giving her the strength to stand. "Where do you want to go?"_

_"It's up to you," He said pausing, bringing his face in closer. "Mrs. Gibbs." It was then that he placed his lips to hers. _

Jenny smiled at the memory. They had finally gotten out of the house around dinner time. Throughout the memory she ended up in the house and in Christina's bedroom. Jenny was now pacing around the room, rocking the small child back to sleep.

"Motherhood looks good on you," She heard someone say. Jenny turned to see Jack Gibbs standing in the doorway. She smiled and nodded her head.

"Thank you." She replied, feeling Christina's body relax enough to be laid down. Jenny placed a white blanket over her small body before grabbing a monitor and leaving the room. "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked, making her way into the kitchen.

"I got all I need right here," He said lifting a water bottle. Jethro had convinced his dad to drink more water than alcohol. The thought of Jenny convincing Jethro to drink more water than coffee, was just a dream. Jenny had poured herself a cup of coffee and made her way into the sitting room. She sat at the window, watching Jethro and her son playing in the sand. "He's happy."

"Yeah, he is." She said with a sad smile. "He's been good today." She said looking over at her father in law. "He hasn't mentioned them at all."

"Probably doesn't want to bring it up in front of the kids." Jack brought up. She nodded in agreement. "Did he tell you about Shannon and Kelly?"

"No." She said looking out the window again. "I found out after he got blown up." Jackson looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She didn't need to look at him to know what he was silently asking. "Jethro was in pursuit of a suspect. Jethro's informant turned out to be the guy he wanted and ended up blowing the boat up. When he finally came to, I went to see him and he woke up calling me Shannon."

"Did you know about them by then?" Jenny nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "I have never seen him so happy before. Besides the fact that I haven't seen him since she died, but he looks really happy. I guess it's all the gorgeous women he works with." Jenny smiled and rolled her eyes. She looked out the window expecting to see her husband and son playing in the sand, but they were gone. She heard the door opening and slamming shut. Jackson had come running into the living room with a large sandbucket.

"Mom look." He said excitedly. "I got sand crabs." Jenny looked up at Jethro, who just shrugged his shoulders. The bottom of the bucket was packed with sand, and a layer of water over it. No sand crabs to been seen.

"Why don't you go put the bucket in the kitchen and you can show me them later," She proposed. Jackson nodded his head and was gone. Jethro laughed and took a seat next to his wife, who leaned into his side.

"What were you two talking about?" He asked, noticing the sad look on Jenny's face.

"Just informing your boss that she'd better watch out. You work with some good looking ladies." He said with a smile and leaving his son and daughter in law. Jethro tightened his grip around her shoulders, and kissed her hair.

"It's the one that I work for that matters." She smiled. He shifted himself, so Jenny could lie against him. She didn't seem right all day, and he knew why. She didn't bug him to talk about it. She just gave him distance for him to deal with it. She did it every year and they never talked about it. "Jen," He whispered. "I love you." She smiled and leaned farther into his embrace.

"You don't have to be brave everyday. It's alright to miss them." She told him, resting her head against his chest, using it as a pillow.

"I know." He said. "It's been a long time. I've moved on. And I'm happy where I'm at right now." He admitted. He felt her nod against his chest. "I miss them everyday Jen, but I can't let it stop me from caring for the family I have now."

She nodded once again. He began to rub her arm, knowing in time it would put her to sleep. "I love you Mrs. Gibbs," He told her. She smiled, placing her arms on top of his.

"I love you too." She whispered, before nodding off to sleep. He placed a kiss to her head and he too went to sleep. Together they fell asleep on the couch. They would wake up together. Just like Paris. To them, being together was all that mattered.


	6. Leaving on a Jet Plane

**Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS. **

**I am crediting my idea for the flashback from the song Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. I heard it on Glee, then I listened to the original and I thought of Jenny and Gibbs. :) Thanks to Brillows4eva for reading this. Ifanyone has any ideas as to my future chapters tell me. I am starting to run out. **

* * *

_He was standing in his basement and stared at the grey sheet that was covering his boat. He looked around and took in his sanctuary, and wondered where he'd go in Mexico. He needed a place to go to. He needed a place to escape. He eyed his suitcase at the top of the stairs and sighed. He emptied a makeshift glass and poured the rest of his bourbon in it and downed it in one go. Ducky had left an hour earlier, and Gibbs didn't say anything. He had gotten out of the car and made his way to his front door. When he turned, the Morgan was gone. _

_ The clock above Gibb's stove read 4:15. It wasn't going to be easy. Leaving his team had been hard, seeing their stunned faces didn't help much. The look of sadness in Abby's eyes, and the shock written across Tony's face didn't help him. Another person, whose face couldn't leave his mind, was the one person who'd stuck by him. She made him remember. She made him remember her and his past. His memory was still shaky but there was something he knew he had to do. With that Gibbs made his way up his wooden stairs, took his suitcase, flicked off the basement light and headed out of his house; locking the door in his wake. _

_ The taxi pulled up to a place he wouldn't have minded calling home. He had been there multiple times, and his stays had never been long enough for him to look around. But the general arrangement was known. The light in the upstairs bedroom was still lit, causing him to smile lightly. He leaned against the car for a brief moment, a position he had been in a year almost to the date. He told the cab driver he'd be back. He then found himself knocking on the front door and ringing the doorbell. _

_ When the door finally opened, the occupant looked half confused and half shocked. "Jethro," _

_ "Yeah Jen," He said with a sad smile. She was dressed in a pair of black sweats and a large grey NCIS sweatshirt that looked vaguely familiar to him. He liked her in comfortable clothes. She didn't look like a woman with a mission. She looked like a woman with no worries. She seemed to glow when she was in comfortable clothes. _

_ "I thought you were leaving?" She asked, stepping aside, allowing him to come in. She walked towards her study, and he followed. _

_ "I was. I am in a few hours." He informed her, taking the glass of bourbon she had poured for him. She nodded and took a seat in her chair. _

_ "Is there a particular reason why you're here, Jethro?" It didn't sound pleasant. Her question was laced with hurt and he had picked up on it. _

_ "I didn't say goodbye." There was a small amount of tension that lingered in the air. "I told you I didn't know how Mike could quit and I walked out. It's no way to say goodbye. A letter didn't seem appropriate since you watched me leave." Jenny sighed. That one piece of information she herself tried to forget everyday was something that he remembered. He stood over her chair and pulled her up. _

_ "Is this your version of a goodbye?" She asked, as he brought her to stand in his personal space. It made her feel uneasy. "Showing up at my house at 4:30 in the morning? You said your goodbye's Jethro. I was standing on the stairs, I watched you do it." He nodded and took the final step, standing toe to toe with her. This time he wanted to. _

_ "No. This is."He took her face in his hands and placed a kiss to her lips. It wasn't needy, or lust filled. Just a simple kiss filled with love, that she had missed. He placed his forehead to hers, and wiped the tear off of her cheek. She let out a light laugh and smiled. _

_ "I hate you right now," She said in a whisper. He chuckled and took her hand in his. _

_ "I know I'm not one for apologies, but I'm saying sorry for the times I was trouble with the press, sorry I pissed off sister agencies, and I'm sorry for being such an ass ninety nine percent of the time. "He felt her smile against his cheek. They heard the cab driver blowing his horn, causing Jenny and Gibbs to sigh. _

_ He placed another light kiss to Jenny's lips and then her forehead. "I'll be here," she said before tracing a finger along his jaw line. He smiled at the faint touch. He pulled back and nodded. He made his way back to the front door, turned and saw his Jenny. The woman standing in the doorway to the study reminded him of the woman he had fallen in love with 7 years earlier. She was beautiful, vulnerable, and in power all at the same time.. The faint smile that was on her lips was enough to make him want to stay, and fall asleep with her in his arms. It was just a little dream. He smiled and left, leaving Jenny once again. _

Jethro walked through the front door quietly, wanting to surprise his family. Jenny had been in the Need to Know loop to a point. Gibbs and his team were on a case that had taken them longer to close, than anticipated. They had come up with a lead which led them nowhere. When they had brought their suspect in, she wasn't in the office. He hadn't expected her to be, but the thought of barging into her office, announcing his presence, crossed his mind. He looked at his desk, putting off doing the case reports to do them at home or on Monday. Turning off his desk light, he grabbed his jacket and headed home.

The immediate aroma of homemade pasta and sauce that lingered in the air attacked his senses, the moment he walked in the front door. He immediately noticed his kids toys spread out on the floor, leading into the sitting room. Jackson's basketball was sitting in the corner of the foyer and Christina's bear that she didn't let out of her sight was sitting at the bottom of the stairs. He side and over stepped the various clothes as he made his way upstairs. After he checked the bedrooms, there was no sign of his family anywhere. Noemi wasn't there; he knew that from the moment he walked in the door. He checked the house, making sure that the house was safe. To his surprise, the house was all locked up like he had done it himself.

He heard the sound of music coming from Jenny's study, realizing he had missed it when he first entered the house. He placed an ear to the door, trying to hear what was playing. He opened the door , trying to hear more clearly.

"_So kiss me and smile for me. Tell me that you'll wait for me. Hold me like you'll never let me go. I'm leaving on a jet plane don't know when I'll be back again. Don't know when I'll be back again. Oh babe, I hate to go. "_

He smiled at the sight of Jenny, Christina, and Jackson all snuggled up on the couch. Christina was on Jenny's lap, her head in her mother's chest. Jackson in at his mothers side, with a blanket tucked in his arm. This was his family. This was the woman he had fallen in love with over and over again. Small moments like this did it to him.


	7. Lilies and Perfume

_Sometimes you have to be a part from people you love. But that doesn't mean you love them any less. Sometimes it even makes you love them more. _

Jethro watched his children play with their mother in the snow, through the kitchen window. Snowballs were being thrown; the buckets that had been filled were being dumped in an attempt to bombard Jenny with more snow. He watched Jackson get swept up and thrown into a pile of soft snow, pulling his mother down with him. His eight year old daughter seemed to be missing from the snow fight he realized. It had been Christina's idea to play in the snow in the first place, demanding that Jenny played with her.

The sound of the back door opening and closing alerted Jethro to his daughter's whereabouts. She began to walk into the kitchen and immediately turned around at the sight of her father. He took one quick glance at Jenny and Jackson who were getting to their feet, brushing the snow off of each other, probably getting ready to come in. With that he followed Christina into the living room, where she was sitting by the Christmas tree.

"Hey," He said quietly. "You okay?" She shook her head and brought her feet under her. "You want to tell me what's bothering you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know what to get mommy for Christmas."

"What do you mean? You make something for her every year and she loves it."

"But Jack actually gets her a necklace every year and she likes it more. I want to get something for her like him." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Jethro smiled and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling him into her side.

"I tell you what, you can buy her a bottle of perfume."

"What kind? Does she even where perfume?" Jethro simply nodded and pulled Christina closer to him. He traced small patterns into her arm getting her to doze off into sleep, much like he does with her mother.

"_Jethro!" He heard Jenny yell from a floor below him. "Jethro, where the hell are you?" He heard her drop her bag on the floor, her shoes being kicked into a pile by the front door, and the faint thumping of her bare feet coming up the stairs. "Jeth-" _

_She was stopped at the site of Jethro at their bedroom door holding a wrapped box. "You called?"_

"_Where the hell were you this morning?" She asked, pushing herself into the room. " I wake up and you're gone. No note. No nothing. God forbid I ask Ducky, it'll just add one more person to the 'Let's worry about Jethro' fan club. Not that there should be a fan club, but since you're so damn-" She was stopped by a finger to her lips and the site of the wrapped box. _

"_To answer your question Queen of Ramble, I was out buying you this. And two if I left you a note, you'd come find me. Apparently it didn't matter since you came looking for me anyway."_

"_How did you-"_

"_Know?" He finished her sentence. "Besides the fact that your French shampoo gives you away, it's the smell of bourbon that follows you. No one in Paris drinks our bourbon," He said emphasizing our. _

_She sat at the edge of their bed, crossed legged, watching Jethro walk around the room with the box in his hands. They hadn't said anything for what seemed like forever, but a minute in silence seems longer than it should be. "You want to tell me what's in the box?" _

"_No." He said putting the box down in front of her. "You can open it if you want." _

_She looked up at him and slowly began to unwrap the present, until it was a small white box. She lifted the lid and pulled out the tiny bottle. The lid was golden with a silver inscription on the side which was the logo. She unscrewed the lid and immediately smelled lilies. "Jethro, this is perfect" She said with a smile, getting onto her knees. _

_She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before looking back at the bottle. "So I take it you like the perfume?" _

" _I love the perfume Jethro, absolutely love it." She smiled yet again. "It might just be my favorite." _

Jethro smiled at the memory as he watched Jenny unwrap her present from Christina. While at NCIS, Jethro was able to tell where Jenny was. As odd and creepy as that may sound, the perfume gave it away. The less amount of perfume that was lingering in the air, the longer she had been away. The more perfume the closer she was. It was a game they played.

The smell of Lilies and bourbon mixed together made Jethro's senses go wild. It had thrown him off when he smelled it on Hollis. But when she told him that she didn't wear perfume, he was slightly surprised. As he went into the Interrogation Room he smiled at the realization that Jenny was taunting and teasing him, a game that they both played well.

"Christina this is wonderful," He heard her say, being pulled out from another brief memory. Jenny looked over at Jethro who had a small smile across his face.

"Do you like it mommy?"

"Christina, I love it." She said kissing her daughters forehead."How did you know that I liked Lilies?"

"Daddy helped." She said proudly. Jenny looked over at Jethro once again who had simply shrugged and made his way out of the room.

"Well this just happens to be my favorite perfume," She said getting a smile and a giggle from her daughter.

While Christina and Jackson secluded themselves into their own worlds, Jenny took the opportunity to find Jethro, who was sitting on the back porch overlooking the freshly snow covered backyard. He heard the door open and quietly close and the perfume. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she sat on the arm of the chair.

"When did you buy it?"

"About two weeks ago," He said. "Christina wanted to buy you something like Jackson and the necklaces. She didn't think that her homemade crafts were good enough." Jenny smiled as she lowered herself onto his lap.

"How did you get it? I thought they only sold them in London."

"Well I've got contact in London and they," He took a quick look at Jenny who didn't look like he believed him. "They sell them in a little store by the coffee shop."

"It was _you," _She said looking down at him. "You sent them to me." He looked up at her with confusion across his face. "In the pocket of my coat when I left in Paris. And the one inside my purse the first night as Director and the one on my bedside when I got kidnapped. It was all you," Jethro barely nodded and kissed her temple before settling into the chair with his arms wrapped around Jenny.

Before they knew it, Christina and Jackson had been at their sides, watching the snow begin to fall. It was a perfect Gibbs Christmas. All revolving around Lily perfume.


End file.
